Intro: TeenScreen
clearly shuns standard medical care in favor of the psychiatric model
of brain disorders and chemical imbalances though these have never been
scientifically proven.

TeenScreen is a
“mental health” screening system. Using a computer program, teenagers
are asked questions to root out the symptoms of “mental illness.” Those
students giving the right (or wrong) answers to the questions are then
delivered to persons trained to spot psychiatric “disorders,” usually
employees of a local “mental health” treatment facility.

TeenScreen claims
to be funded mainly by private foundations, the identities of which
are carefully kept secret. For reasons that might be made clear if only
their identities were known, the hidden supporters of TeenScreen are
in favor of widespread mental health screening and referral to treatment.
TeenScreen’s critics claim that the operation is nothing but a slick
marketing tool designed to bring new customers into the multi-billion-dollar
psychiatric “mental health” industry. Whatever the reasons for screening,
there is no doubt that TeenScreen and all other screening programs are
good for business, and could potentially deliver hundreds of millions
in profit to the makers of psychiatric drugs.

David Shaffer,
TeenScreen’s author, recently refused to appear in a public forum to
present TeenScreen and answer the public’s questions. TeenScreen executives
Laurie Flynn and Leslie McGuire earn their pay singing the praises of
TeenScreen at every opportunity yet refuse to honestly address the serious
questions and controversy.

TeenScreen officials
attempt to distance themselves from any connection with treatment, claiming
that their responsibility ends with flagging those who admit to having
certain symptoms. Yet, TeenScreen is intimately connected to treatment
of those testing positive. Each TeenScreen site is partnered with a
local mental health treatment provider. Only “mental health” facilities
are permitted as TeenScreen’s partner. Standard medical care is excluded,
as are nutritionists, allergists, tutors and any form of religious counseling.

The shunning of
all other forms of treatment is significant and telling in light of
the fact that the exact symptoms that TeenScreen labels “mental illness”
are known to be caused by genuine, verifiable physical illness and other
factors, not subjective psychiatric “disorders.” TeenScreen needs to
confront and answer the question of why they ignore true, accepted medical
science and forward the agenda of the American Psychiatric Association
(APA) and pharmaceutical companies. At least one TeenScreen site openly
accepted money from Eli Lilly Corporation, a drug company which makes
billions from the sale of psychiatric drugs for children. Signs of Suicide,
another mental health screening outfit using the same screening instrument
as TeenScreen, has openly accepted millions in funding from drug companies
to implement their program.

Mental Illness
versus Medical Illness

TeenScreen does
not specifically look for illness; they look for a certain list of symptoms.
These are generally feelings, emotions, behaviors or physical sensations,
highly subjective in nature. The purpose of the screening instruments
is to find out if a teen will admit to any one of a long list of these
symptoms that the APA defines as “mental illness.”

These symptoms
can be very real and even disturbing. No one is denying that the symptoms
exist. The question is what causes the symptoms and what can or should
be done about it. Some of the symptoms certainly fall into the category
of “normal teenage angst” though TeenScreen does not have a diagnosis
category for that. TeenScreen’s positive results always lead toward
specific psychiatric “mental disorders,” like Depression Disorder or
Anxiety Disorder. If a teen answers yes to a question like “has there
been a time when you felt you couldn’t do anything well or that you
weren’t as good-looking or smart as other people?,” he or she will be
flagged as a potential case of “depression” and carted off to a psychologist,
psychiatrist or social worker for the diagnosis. Though no objective
medical or laboratory testing can prove its existence, that diagnostic
label, may be applied to that child for his entire life.

TeenScreen’s scheme
is evident when you come to understand that the symptoms called “depression”
in psychiatry have different diagnoses and causes in the field of medical
science. On its own website, the American Psychiatric Association states
the following "Also, a medical condition (e.g., a brain tumor or vitamin
deficiency) can cause depression, so it is important to be evaluated...
to rule out general medical causes." Why then can millions be diagnosed
without benefit of proper medical evaluation?

These are the symptoms
of “depression” from the APA’s documents entitled "Lets Talk Facts About
Depression":

1.
Changes in appetite that result in weight losses or gains unrelated
to dieting 2. Insomnia or oversleeping 3. Loss of energy or increased fatigue 4. Restlessness or irritability 5. Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt 6. Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions 7. Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide

Each one of the
above symptoms of "depression" can also be found listed as a symptom
for known physical illnesses, other conditions and/or reactions to drugs
by the National Institutes of Health or its references: Medline Plus,
US National Library of Medicine, etc.

If a child with
lead poisoning were screened, and answered yes to “has there been a
time when you had less energy than you usually do?,” or any question
related to irritability, insomnia, or difficulty thinking, he would
likely test positive for “depression.” Once screened, he will be forwarded
on to the psychiatrist who will officially diagnose him with “depression”
and prescribe treatment. As statistics show that as many as 9 out of
10 children are given drugs as treatment after being labeled; this child
would likely be given drugs for his "mental disease." His real problem
is lead poisoning, and because his symptoms are covered up with dangerous,
mind-altering drugs, the true cause is never addressed. According to
the data from the US Library of Medicine and the National Institutes
of Health and Medline Plus, lead poisoning can increase if not addressed
and this child may develop seizures or lapse into a coma from the unhandled
medical condition.

If the child is
given true help from a competent medical doctor who was willing to test
him for physical troubles, the real answer to his trouble can be found
and addressed. Without competent medical care, the only action is to
drug away symptoms, which is the inevitable result of TeenScreen’s operation.
Without medical care, any child labeled with "depression" may be a ticking
time bomb that will eventually result in a tragedy.

Numerous other
diseases and conditions can be confused with mental diseases or disorders.
According to the National Institutes of Health- Medline Plus, "Hyperthyroidism
can mimic other health problems, which may make it difficult to diagnose.
It can also cause a variety of signs and symptoms, including difficulty
in sleeping, fatigue and irritability." Again, these are also defined
as symptoms of "depression." According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical
Education and Research, anemia causes symptoms that would seem like
"depression" if the anemia were not detected by a medical doctor.

Hypothyroidism,
hypoglycemia, allergies, adrenal problems, and anemia all result in
some of the same symptoms that are used to "diagnose" depression as
mental, not physical illness. If the real physical illness or problem
is not detected and treated, these illnesses can get worse. Even a child
with a brain tumor can be labeled with "depression" and may never get
the medical care and treatment that will save his life.

Dr. William Crook
in his book, "Detecting Your Hidden Allergies" says those bothered by
irritability, depression, and fatigue ... "need an immediate full medical,
physical examination and complete test for food allergies that could
cause massive mental changes in a person."

Respected leaders
and doctors ­ experts in the fields of medicine, neurology, education
and government have spoken out against the methods used by psychiatry
and TeenScreen. Recent FDA warnings about the dangers in psychotropic
drugs have drawn attention to the issue. Many of the drugs which will
be ingested by TeenScreen’s target market carry “Black Box” warning
labels, indicating that they have been found to cause violent episodes
and suicide in young who never exhibited such behavior before.

Kenneth W. Thomas,
a registered nurse who has for 29 years worked in psychiatric units,
critical care units and emergency rooms, says "A friend of mine, also
a nurse, was sent home recently from work because she was "acting erratically"
and didn't seem to know where she was. After thorough medical testing,
she found out that she has hypoglycemia. She had been suffering with
that undetected condition on and off for 15 years. She had been through
the whole regimen of expensive anti-anxiety medications in attempts
to treat it. After the actual cause of her symptoms was located, she
changed her eating habits, the symptoms did not return and no drugs
were needed to handle this condition."

Even many psychiatrists
and psychologists have brutally criticized their own group for ignoring
the deaths, murders, addiction, loss of memory, etc. incurred by standard
psychiatric treatment. Parents whose children died from psychiatric
"treatments" have been outraged and are speaking out.

In summary, we
know that TeenScreen will result in more children labeled as “mentally
ill,” possibly for their entire life, with no proof of its validity.
We know that TeenScreen shuns genuine medical treatment and care in
favor of unproven psychiatric diagnoses. We know that the use of TeenScreen
results in increased revenue for psychiatric drug manufacturers.

Parents, teachers,
school administrators and legislators must be made aware of TeenScreen’s
true purposes and activities. No one should fraudulently sway parents
away from proper medical care or limit their options in addressing their
child’s wellbeing. TeenScreen, its creator, its executives and its backers
must be fully investigated and the truth must be made public. TeenScreen
should come clean and reveal the secret foundations that are supporting
it and why.

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TeenScreen clearly
favors and supports “mental health” treatment over any other option.
TeenScreen clearly shuns standard medical care in favor of the psychiatric
model of brain disorders and chemical imbalances though these have never
been scientifically proven. The public needs to wake up to this fraud
so that our children can get true help, if they need it, while at the
same time they are protected from unwanted and unneeded intrusions into
their lives.

Mary
Collins is a 72-year-old grandmother living in New Hampshire. She attained
a BA in English Literature with a minor in History in 1954 from Millsap’s
College in Jackson, Mississippi and was involved in education for over
20 years.

In
summary, we know that TeenScreen will result in more children labeled
as “mentally ill,” possibly for their entire life, with no proof of its
validity. We know that TeenScreen shuns genuine medical treatment and
care in favor of unproven psychiatric diagnoses.